European
Trade Items

European trade goods
are found on a number of Oklahoma archaeological sites and provide help
in establishing the age of the occupation. The earliest possible contact
items would be materials obtained from the Coronado Expedition into the
plains in 1540. Although artifacts believed to represent this early contact
have been found in Kansas, nothing of a similar nature has been found
in Oklahoma.

At the present time,
the white trade materials found within the state tend to fall into two
broad time periods: 1) trade goods that was obtained from the French and
Spanish during the 18th century, and 2) trade goods associated with various
Indian tribes that were removed to Oklahoma from elsewhere. This later
period is primarily represented by the early half of the 19th century.

Our information is
best for the French trade materials that were being traded to the Wichita
Indians living along the Arkansas River in Kay County, Oklahoma. Items
which have been found on these sites include various metal parts of trade
guns including gun barrels, vise jaws, vise screws, tumblers, tumbler
bridles, triggers, main-springs, frizzens, frizzen springs, trigger plates,
side plates, butt plates, ramrod guides, lead

Sites which were occupied
after Indian removal are frequently difficult to identify as the materials
found are similar to those in the households of early white pioneers.
The Indians cultural inventory of this time period was essentially composed
of white manufactured materials with little native material being present.
Some groups, such as the Choctaw, Creek, Seminole, and Chickasaws still
produced a little pottery but specimens are not plentiful. An occasional
glass bead or metal arrow point is sometimes found, but these also are
scarce.